Settling refugees in the community

www.redcross.org.nz

Rachel Kidd, Rachel O’Connor,Judi McCallum

Today

• NZ Red Cross

• Our resettlement programme

• Pathways to Employment

• Refugee youth resettlement support

One Red Cross

• Largest humanitarian network involved in conflict and disaster operations in world

• Member-based organisation. Over 10,000 volunteers and members

• National and international programmes

• Focus on unity

Three priorities

• Disaster management and building stronger communities

• International operations

• Refugees and vulnerable migrants– Refugee Advisory

Committee

Our work with quota refugees

We aim to:

• empower former refugees to achieve their goals and contribute to their new home

• foster an inclusive, welcoming community which values the strength, resilience and skills they bring

Settlement Programme

• Welcome• Orientation• Settlement plan• Practical and social support• Information and advice• Linkages to resources• Connection to community• Support with complex needs• Referral to specialist services• Goal: Independence and integration• Up to 12 months

Client Team

Client

Social Worker

Cross Cultural Worker

Resettlement Case Worker

Volunteers/ Volunteer Supervisor

Volunteer Programme

• Recruitment

• Training

• Setting up houses, getting smallhousehold items

• First 6 weeks: busy, practical tasks

• 6 weeks – 6 months:– Advocate for families

– Social outings

– Building a friendship relationship with families and keeping in touch

Orientation: 9 modules

• Introduction• Keeping safe in New Zealand• Financial literacy• Housing• Health• Emergency preparedness• Strong families and positive parenting• Education• Community support services

NZRC 2020 Strategy

BY 2020 WE WILL…Understand and meet the essential needs

of asylum seekers, refugees and their families

by supporting them in their transition into

New Zealand society, without discrimination

and irrespective of their legal status

Restoring Family Links

• Currently 2 pilot programmes –Wellington and Waikato

• Expanding to Auckland, Manawatu and Tasman-Marlborough

• New services start 1 September 2014

• Goal is sustainable employment

• Workshop and 1-to-1 support

Pathways to Employment

Many steps concurrently:• Comprehensive assessment• Career and employment plan• Referral to right services/training

at right time• CV, job search and interview

skills development• Guidance with identifying

relevant jobs and making applications• Sourcing work experience• Understanding NZ employers

priorities and expectations• On-going monitoring of progress

Pathways to EmploymentAn individualised, developmental approach

Pathways helped me enormously in mentoring my short term and long

term career. They helped me apply online for jobs

and contacted employers.

Pathways to EmploymentPathways Team

Client

Red Cross Volunteers

Client Services

(Resettlement Team)

Social Enterprise

Team

Corporate Partnerships

Team

• Accessing decision makers•Working with employers to

understand benefits • Providing support after

placement• Preparing clients and helping

with paper work• Accessing entitlements• Finding partners • Identifying champions

Pathways to EmploymentCreating Opportunities

“In our business people need tenacity Yodit fits well here” Mike Egan (restaurant owner)

• All working-age new arrivals attend workshop• 290 clients registered as active

job seekers (language and employment assessments, plans with milestones, CVs etc)• 80% engage in relevant ESOL• 60% gain ≤ 15 hrs pw work,

work experience, voluntary work• 37% gain ≥ 15 hrs pw work• 10% start full-time further

study

Pathways to EmploymentExpected Outcomes

“I did agricultural work back in Myanmar, so this was familiar to

me. I feel really lucky to have a job here”

Refugee Youth Resettlement Report

“Then came reality”: Lived Experiences of refugee youth in their first 12 months in New Zealand

Rachel.oconnor@redcross.org.nz

Refugee Youth Resettlement Report

“I avoided school for 2 months until they dragged me down to enrol. I didn’t want to go to school. I

went through so many schools after so many moves, with so many gaps. I didn’t want that feeling

that you are a ‘newbie’”

Refugee Youth Resettlement Report

“In Africa I thought ‘I will work like a slave [in NZ], never any rest, I need money.’ But the first time when I migrate…we said to our community who

were here ‘we need to work’ [they said]… ‘you guys don’t know here’. They started laughing at us. ‘it’s

hard to find a job’”

Refugee Youth Resettlement Report

“I’m a talkative person; I like to communicate. But I wasn’t communicating as much as I wanted to. It

was quite hard to interact with others. I felt lonely”

Refugee Youth Resettlement Report

1. The need for service providers to ensure they have access to cultural information and training on understanding the refugee journey and resettlement experiences

2. Provision of language support is needed to ensure barriers to participation is reduced.

3. Schools play a central role in education, integration and social participation.

4. Orientation for youth needs to be increased across all priority areas of employment, education, health and wellbeing and social participation

5. Coordinated approaches across the sector to ensure youths employment pathways are supported.